Oklahoma State hires Brad Underwood away from Stephen F. Austin
Oklahoma State has announced that former Stephen F. Austin coach Brad Underwood will become its new head men's basketball coach.
"There's not enough adjectives to describe how excited I am for the opportunity to coach where some of the greatest coaches in the history of college basketball have cut their teeth," Underwood said in a statement Monday night.
"Oklahoma State has unparalleled tradition, history and culture. The fan support, the noise and the home court advantage is what I remember most about Gallagher-Iba Arena, and I couldn't be more excited to be a part of that now. I played in Gallagher-Iba back in the Big Eight days, and then going back as an opposing coach, I can tell you that it's one of the best venues in the nation. We're going to have a lot of fun, and I'm excited as heck about the opportunity to get to know the community of Stillwater, and the OSU family."
Underwood went 89-14 in three seasons at Stephen F. Austin — which ties Butler's Brad Stevens as the best three-year start for a head coach at an NCAA school — and is coming off a second-round exit in the NCAA tournament, a heartbreaking loss to No. 6 seed Notre Dame which followed an upset of No. 3 West Virginia two nights before. Underwood was named Southland Conference Coach of the Year three times.
“There is no question Brad has elevated our men’s basketball program, athletic department and University to a national brand,” Stephen F. Austin athletics director Robert Hill said in a statement. “We will always be indebted to him for what he was able to accomplish. He engrained himself into the community and campus and there is no place he isn’t admired and well liked. I expect to see him accepting a national championship trophy before he completes his career. We wish him only the best.”
Underwood played at Kansas State, and served as an assistant at his alma mater from 2006-12. He then spent one season as an assistant at South Carolina before taking the reins at Stephen F. Austin.
"I named three things that I was looking for in the new head basketball coach at Oklahoma State: character, coaching style and fit," Oklahoma State athletic director Mike Holder said. "Brad Underwood gets the highest marks in each of those categories. He played in the Big Eight for Jack Hartman, a disciple of Henry Iba. He has coached and recruited in the Big 12, and has been very successful as a head coach in one of our prime recruiting grounds in the state of Texas. K-State is a sister institution with Oklahoma State in a lot of ways, so anyone who graduates from there and lives in Manhattan is probably going to connect quickly with our fans and our people. And as for character, everyone around him speaks of him as the great friend, father and person he is. In my opinion, Brad Underwood is going to be a great fit for Oklahoma State."
Underwood will be formally introduced in Stillwater on Wednesday.